Alchemist-Eldritch Heritage / Arcane Bloodline / Improved Familiar / Tumor familiar

[Basil Burr'Bin]

eldritch heritage states you get the first-level bloodline power treating your caster level for that power as your character level-2. The first level arcane bloodline gives a familiar for the first level power.

So may a 9th level alchemist take Eldritch Heritage (arcane bloodline) gain a familiar as an effective sorcerer level of 7 and thus get an improved familiar?

I understand you aren't supposed to be able to have two familiars, (though there has been some debate as to this by a few due to tattoo familiars and archetypes that allow for companions etc.) but assuming the Eldritch heritage route above is valid, is an alchemist then locked out of the tumor Familiar Discovery? And if you take a level in Wizard may you then get a bonded object as well...the Eldritch Heritage feat (arcana) says that "this ability doesn't let you get a familiar and a bonded object, but it seems that it is simply stating that you don't get both from the bloodline itself and taking a level in wizard is getting it by a different means.

And while I have your most gracious attention...just for clarity...you may not take a cross-blooded line for the eldritch heritage feat giving you two 1st level bloodline powers even if you have the proper skill focus requirements for each bloodline.

I have also heard that the spell knowledge has been given the green light for Alchemists to gain an improve familiar and item creation feats as well by giving an effective caster level.

And if alchemists were not supposed to be considered Arcan Casters to begin with why does the Hidden priest false arcanist power specifically list Alchemists in there/

So many questions...

[Gisher]

Reno Caligulis wrote:

...

I have also heard that the spell knowledge has been given the green light for Alchemists to gain an improve familiar and item creation feats as well by giving an effective caster level.
...

You can't apply Improved Familiar to a Tumor Familiar even with Spell Knowledge.

FAQ wrote:

Improved Familiars: There are various ways for characters other than arcane spellcasters to gain familiars at this point, and some of those options even grant Improved Familiar as a bonus feat, but technically each Improved Familiar option requires a certain arcane spellcaster level to take it. Does that mean that non-arcane characters with Improved Familiar have a dead feature? How does it work? If it does work, can I take an Improved Familiar as some kind of variant familiar or a temporary familiar like the occultist’s soulbound puppet?

The Improved Familiar description was written back when only arcane spellcasters could have familiars, and it wasn’t sufficiently future-proofed. To that end, you can always substitute your effective wizard level for the purpose of determining your familiar’s abilities for “arcane spellcaster level” to determine the available improved familiars for your character. In general, you can take Improved Familiars for class-granted variant familiars like a shaman’s spirit animal, with a few exceptions: First, temporary familiars like the occultist’s soulbound puppet can’t become Improved Familiars from the Improved Familiar feat, and those class features don’t qualify you to take the Improved Familiar feat. Second, tumor familiars, as lumps of flesh in the shape of animals, can’t become Improved Familiars. In other cases, treat Improved Familiar as if it was an archetype to see if it stacks with other familiar options: since the two things it alters from a regular familiar are that it removes the ability to speak with animals of its kind and it prevents changing the creature type for non-animals, you couldn’t make a familiar that changes the creature type of non-animals or alters or removes speak with animals of its kind an Improved Familiar.

[Azten]

Though you could still get it with Eldritch Heritage, yes.

[Basil Burr'Bin]

Yes Gisher, thanks...but I am not asking about taking a Tumor Familiar to Improved. I am asking about alternate ways of an alchemist getting an Improve Familiar...and if they can...why is it that they would not be allowed to get the Tumor Familiar Discovery afterward since they are merely "lumps of flesh in the shape of an animals" as they have stated...other than somewhere it has been supposedly clearly stated that you cannot have multiple familiars

[Fuzzy-Wuzzy]

Reno Caligulis wrote:

Yes Gisher, thanks...but I am not asking about taking a Tumor Familiar to Improved. I am asking about alternate ways of an alchemist getting an Improve Familiar...and if they can...why is it that they would not be allowed to get the Tumor Familiar Discovery afterward since they are merely "lumps of flesh in the shape of an animals" as they have stated...other than somewhere it has been supposedly clearly stated that you cannot have multiple familiars

A familiar (including a tumor, I believe) is bound to your soul, as mentioned in this FAQ. Presumably if you can only have one familiar it's because your soul only has one tie-point to connect a familiar to. (Animal companions use a different tie-point, obviously.)

That said, I don't believe it is ever clearly stated anywhere that you cannot have multiple familiars. Gods only know why it isn't, since it's clearly supposed to be the case.

[Azten]

"Levels of different classes that are entitled to familiars stack for the purpose of determining any familiar abilities that depend on the master's level."

That, to me at least, shows you can only ever have one familiar because you can't split your levels up. They stack into one big effective level.

[Basil Burr'Bin]

Yeah, thank you guys for your feedback, but on that not (really merely for argument sake mind you) the wording on tumor familiar seems to never really state that it is a true familiar...just that it is created on the body and can detach itself as a separate creature "vaguely resembling a kind of animal suitable for a familiar" and that is "acts" as an alchemists familiar. And if it is a fact where an Alchemist must take a Discovery, is that really to mean he is "entitled" since classes like witch and wizard etc. are automatically "entitled" as a first level class power...

[Shinoskay]

yay necro

"The tumor has all the abilities of the animal it resembles (for example, a batlike tumor can fly) and familiar abilities based on the alchemist’s caster level (though some familiar abilities may be useless to an alchemist)"

Actually, you have a point basil.

unless theres an errata out there. tumor familiar says its a lump of flesh with familiar abilities based on the alchemist level.

much like familiar write up says 'effective hd for hd effects', this gets 'familiar abilities' but never specifically calls itself out as a familiar.